Rockets at Heat
The Houston Rockets averaged 103.9 points last season and James Harden made a push for the MVP award while putting up 27.4, but offense isn’t so easy in 2015-2016. Harden and the Rockets will try to snap out of their offensive funk when they visit the Miami Heat on Sunday.
Houston was routed by 20 points in each of its first two games and is averaging 88.5 points with Harden struggling to 10-of-39 from the floor. "Our offense is really stagnant," Rockets coach Kevin McHale told reporters. "…We're not making plays for each other at the rate we need to." The Heat dispatched the Charlotte Hornets in the season opener but could not make it two straight and fell to the Cleveland Cavaliers 102-92 on Friday. The reserves went for 38 points against the Hornets but had that number cut in half on Friday.
TV: 6 p.m. ET, ROOT Southwest (Houston), Sun Sports (Miami)
ABOUT THE ROCKETS (0-2): Harden is 3-of-22 from 3-point range and is having a tough time getting open looks despite the addition of speedy point guard Ty Lawson in the offseason. “My shots are tougher and the guy's shots are tougher,” Harden told reporters after a 112-92 home loss to Golden State on Friday. “We didn't get some really good shots for a long period of time and that puts a lot of pressure on our defense.” Lawson is 5-of-18 from the field with 11 assists and five turnovers in the first two games.
ABOUT THE HEAT (1-1): Gerald Green went 5-of-8 from 3-point range and led the bench with 19 points in the opener but was held to five points on 1-of-9 shooting against the Cavaliers. Green’s erratic production was a source of concern last season in Phoenix and cost him playing time in the second half, but the Heat brought in the veteran swingman not only to boost the reserves but to cover over potential injuries to Dwyane Wade and Luol Deng down the road. Wade is looking healthy so far and is averaging 22.5 points on 15-of-31 shooting.
BUZZER BEATERS
1. Heat F Amar’e Stoudemire made his team debut on Friday and managed two points in 12 minutes off the bench.
2. Rockets F Terrence Jones received stitches for a cut above his eye on Friday and is expected to sit out on Sunday.
3. Houston took both meetings last season by a combined 53 points.